Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.

Energy efficiency policies put in place over 40 years have helped the United States to double energy productivity, getting twice as much GDP per unit of energy, Ms. Callahan says. That makes us more competitive and has saved money on energy bills that has then been pumped back into the economy.

The benefits of efficiency don’t end at cost savings. There are 2.2 million direct jobs in energy efficiency, according to statistics Ms. Callahan cited from the Department of Energy. Efficiency represents a third of energy sector jobs overall, she says. That includes 27,000 jobs in Oregon and 39,000 jobs in Washington state, both of which are modest levels when compared to the home states of the current president and Secretary of Energy.

There’s a direct correlation between energy policies and economic success at the state level. Ms. Callahan cited ACEEE rankings and said that if a state is more energy productive, it is likely to be more economically productive.

If the U.S. were to double its energy productivity again by 2030, a goal established by President Obama, it would save $327 B in 2030 through energy productivity gains in buildings, transportation and industry. With that would come a cleaner environment and greater security by relying less on energy imports.

Ms. Callahan talked about the virtuous cycle of policies, outlining what energy experts know as market transformation. The U.S. will need to invest in energy technology research, demonstration and development, she says, which the government has been doing for 40 years and needs to continue. Incentives help new technologies get a toehold in the market.

Once those technologies are in the market, she says we need energy efficiency marketing outreach through programs like Energy Star. Finally, when those energy efficiency products are in the marketplace, we need to lock in those efficiency levels using codes and standards to keep from regressing.

Energy efficiency was making great strides this decade thanks to policies enacted under Bush and Obama. That progress is now cast into uncertainty.

From her viewpoint as an energy efficiency advocate, Ms. Callan says the Republican presidential candidate made some scary statements on the campaign trail – threatening the Paris accord, NAFTA, Clean Power Plan, and checks on coal and fracking.

Since the inauguration, budget proposals have included cuts for popular energy programs, executive orders have delayed standards, and regulations for climate and environment are being subjected to review. On the bright side, she said, the Republican administration is fighting internally over whether to stay in or leave the Paris agreement, and the president has demonstrated a tendency to reverse his positions.

“The three countries who did not sign the Paris accord were Uzbekistan, Syria, and Nicaragua,” Ms. Callahan says, “and Nicaragua wouldn’t sign because it wasn’t stringent enough. I don’t think the United States wants to be on the side of Syria and Uzbekistan while the rest of the countries of the world are on the other side.”

In the administration’s initial budget proposal, Energy Star is on the chopping block. It’s a successful program with many proponents, Ms. Callahan says, and advocates are stepping up to defend the program.

At least the Department of Energy has a leader. Hundreds of appointed federal positions remain unnominated. “When you don’t have appointees in place, policies and guidance don’t get produced. Very conservative transition team people are making statements and we won’t know if they’ll be acted on until we see who the appointees are,” Ms. Callahan says.

The latest budget proposal from the White House has brought out supporters, including ASE, to defend several efficiency-related agencies. Ms. Callahan will place more weight on a budget from Congress. “Remember, the budget is a political document. The President doesn’t fund the government. Congress does.”

Upcoming budget proposals from Congress will propose elimination of programs and reductions in funding, but Congress has not hit energy efficiency as hard as expected overall, Ms. Callahan says. “I don’t see any appetite in Congress for eliminating all the programs the president has promised to cut.”

However long Congress’s budget takes, she expects “haircuts,” but not large budget cuts, for EPA and DOE operations like Energy Star, EERE, ARPA-E, the State Energy Program, and the Weatherization Assistance Program.

“It’s not enough to just hang on, we want to keep up the pace of progress, but the gridlock in Congress probably helps us to at least stay the course for now.”

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.